1 in 3 UK travellers want to see ‘quiet zones’ on flights

Published:12:00Saturday 03 December 2016

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An online flight comparison company has revealed the most irritating disturbances that Britons encounter on flights, including crying children, rowdy stag/hen groups and parents telling their children off.

According to the poll, 32% of Britons would like quiet zones to be introduced onto flights, similar to the quiet zones that can already be found on trains.

New research has revealed that noise, steep food & drink prices and lack of leg room are the biggest pet-hates on board flights, with 1 in 3 admitting they’d like to see quiet zones introduced onto flights.

The team at www.Jetcost.co.uk undertook the survey as part of an ongoing study into flight experiences of Britons. 2,197 Britons aged 18 and over, all of whom stated that they had been on holiday abroad at least once in the past two years and had flown to their destination, were quizzed about their experiences.

Initially all respondents were asked ‘What do you enjoy most about the flying experience?’ to which the most common responses were ‘knowing that I’m going somewhere other than home’ (3%), ‘the customer service’ (26%) and ‘the views’ (25%).

All respondents were then asked ‘What do you consider to be the most annoying or irritating aspect of the flying experience?’ to which the most common responses were ‘disturbances and noise’ (36%), ‘the steep prices of on-board food & drink’ (32%) and ‘not having enough leg room’ (20%).

Wanting to delve a little deeper, all respondents who stated that they found disturbances on planes irritating were asked what, in particular, bothered them. When provided with a list of possible responses and told to select all that applied, the top five responses were as follows:

1. Crying, whinging children - 67%

2. Rowdy hen and stag groups - 48%

3. Parents telling their children off - 44%

4. Those under the influence of alcohol - 39%

5. Those asleep, snoring - 19%

According to the poll, all respondents were asked how they’d like to see airlines deal with the issue of noise, to which the top responses were ‘headphones / earplugs should be provided free to those who want them’ (53%) and ‘there should be a quiet zone on flights, as there are on trains’ (32%). When asked if they felt cabin crew deal efficiently with those making noise, just one in four respondents, 23%, felt that ‘yes’ the noise was dealt with in a timely manner.

Furthermore, wanting to understand if noise was an issue for others within Europe, and not just those in the UK, the team polled 1,000 respondents from France, Spain, Italy and Europe (an even 25% split amongst the four countries). When asked if they’d like for there to be a quiet section on planes for those who didn’t want to be surrounded by noise, the results were as follows:

· Italy – Yes, 63%

· France – Yes, 53%

· Spain – Yes, 45%

· Germany – Yes, 22%

A spokesperson for Jetcost.co.uk commented: “Whilst the idea of having a quiet zone on a flight sounds like heaven, realistically we’re not sure that would be possible. On trains it’s possible to have quiet zones as trains are made up of separate carriages; planes don’t have that luxury, and putting up a curtain won’t be sufficient at keeping the noise at bay. It’s definitely one for airlines to bear in mind though, especially as there appears to be a large enough market for it.”